Familiar Questions

“Mr. Senator, why are we still in Afghanistan, and what is the US strategy?”, is a question I would asked over, and over, and over again since 2010 with the same result. Blank stares, political dogs gazing at the geopolitical ceiling fan in puzzlement.

But I knew the answer…America’s politicians didn’t have one.

It was the big money Defense lobbyists pumping money into political districts that were the tail-wagging the political dogs in DC right up until the point of the embarrassing pull-out that was eighteen years too late.

Now Ukraine is experiencing this, like a junkie hooked on heroin, it’s hard to kick the habit once you get it.

This is just one of the major problems Americans currently face supporting the war in Ukraine. It’s our problem because our hard-earned taxes are going to support a war that is currently a rudderless ship drifting in the night.

The other problem is that we have no strong leadership in Washington to help the fledgling democracy navigate the war.

Zelensky Postponed Free Elections

In fact, Ukraine wants to be a democracy but is trying to have it both ways as President Zelinsky canceled free elections due to the war.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that the country’s presidential election, that in peacetime would be expected in March, will not be taking place while Ukraine remains under martial law and is in a state of war with Russia. –Read more at FP.com 

This is not democracy Mr. Zelensky, regardless of what Ukrainian law states.

Imagine if Obama canceled free elections at home because the war on terror was still raging.

Not going to happen in America.

I believe in Ukraine, I’ve visited Kyiv a half dozen times, and you can see the seeds of democracy flourishing, but I also worry they have a long way to go to reforming their laws, customs and government corruption to integrate into the European Union.

A History of Corruption and Scandals

A scandal has engulfed the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence, where 100,000 mortar shells worth about $40 million were paid for but never delivered. But within days of this story emerging, Ukraine achieved its best-ever ranking in the annual corruption-perceptions index complied by Transparency International (TI).

Corruption has long been a problem in Ukraine. But over the past ten years, since annual corruption-perceptions scores have been collated, the country has steadily improved. Yet, with the exception of Russia and Azerbaijan, no other European country is perceived as more corrupt than Ukraine. –Read more here. 

Ukraine needs to be cautious of Americas own lessons with regard to the failed Afghanistan campaign, and the tail wagging the dog with the lure of large Defense profiteering.

It continues to be a major challenge for the Ukrainian President. And how about those free elections, Mr. Zelensky?

For us Americans, we need to demand accountability with where our hard-earned tax dollars are concerned.

Biden has committed $75B in aid, and that is a lot of tax payer coin.

And while we need to continue to lead the free world (we have no choice in this matter), we should be damn sure there is a plan everyone can understand, because that’s what leadership is, especially when we have a mess in our own back yard to clean up.